Look at me saying this chapter will be posted sooner and then just. Fucking forgetting about it for over a month even though it's been done all this time, my two brain cells really refuse to do any work around here huh. But also, I just saw that in less than a month this fic will have its two-week anniversary! I'm really happy this fic has been around for so long (I don't think I've ever worked on anything for that long, lol). Just kind of wild that we're only nearing chapter 20, at this rate we won't be finished for another eight years, lmao. But yeah, I'll shut up now and let you read about some boys, have fun (...or not, this one's a sequel to chapter 16).
Prompto hadn't really been sleeping well those past few days. It would take hours and hours for him to fall asleep, and when he did, it wasn't restful. He didn't get to complain, he supposed, being alive and not critically injured and whatnot, which was more than could be said about half their party.
Having trouble sleeping meant that, despite it being way past midnight, he was still awake when Ignis woke with a start next to him.
Not counting that one time he had woken but hadn't realized anything going on around him, this was the first time Ignis was awake since they found him at the altar. A mixture of relief, and utter dread pooled in Prompto's stomach as he quickly sat up and reached out towards Ignis, only to think better of it and pull his hands back just before they made contact, trying not to catch him off guard. Twisting to turn on the light, he tentatively said, "Iggy?"
Ignis gasped, weakly trying to sit up but failing spectacularly. Not surprising, after having spent so much time practically unconscious. Prompto was no expert, but it would probably take a while until he got his strength back.
Right now, there wasn't a trace of strength left in Ignis; all Prompto saw in his face was terror and disorientation.
"Noct," he croaked, voice rough from lack of use."Where-"
His hands moved up, attempting to touch his face, his eyes, but Prompto caught them just in time to prevent him from poking at his wounds.
"Iggy, stop," he said, gently squeezing Ignis' hands. "Noct's okay. You're okay. You're hurt, you need to take it easy."
Ignis' head turned towards him, staring with wide, sightless eyes-
Eye, actually.
Prompto's heart sank. The doctor had warned them that Ignis probably wouldn't be able to open his left eye anymore, but Ignis had just unknowingly proved it. And his other eye… Prompto didn't have to be a doctor to tell there was something seriously wrong with it.
"P-prompto?" Ignis asked, voice cracking. It made Prompto's heart ache, to hear him like that.
"Yeah, it's me. You're safe, I promise. I'm here, and you're safe," Prompto assured him, still holding his hands, hoping the touch would be reassuring. For a moment, it seemed like Ignis was going to work himself into a panic, so Prompto quickly started talking to him. Later he couldn't recall about what, but it helped keep Ignis grounded.
Remembering Ignis' cracking voice and how he hadn't drunk anything in days, Prompto quickly filled the glass on the nightstand once he was sure Ignis was still all there, helped him sit up enough that he wouldn't choke, and propped him up against a few pillows.
"Here. It's water. Don't drink too fast."
Ignis took the glass with shaky hands and drank, and then asked about Noct again.
"He's fine. Just needs a lot of rest, he really wore himself out. He's sleeping next door."
"Gladio?"
"Also fine. He's with Noct, keeping watch. Hasn't left his side once."
Ignis nodded, relieved. "And you?"
Prompto smiled, touched at the concern directed at him, but the smile fell as he remembered that Ignis couldn't see it. "Alive and kickin'"
Ignis was silent for a moment as he took in all this new information. Then, he asked the question Prompto had been dreading from the very start. "I… heard you turn on the light. Why can't I see it?"
Closing his eyes in defeat, Prompto took a deep breath. He'd hoped, selfishly that he wouldn't have to be the one to tell Ignis about the extent of his injuries. He'd hoped that it would be a doctor or even Gladio, and felt ashamed the very second he thought it because the gods knew Gladio had enough on his plate already. Ignis deserved to hear it from someone he trusted, but gods, anyone but him. How do you even tell your friend he'll probably never see again? There was no gentle way to break the news, Prompto knew, and knowing Ignis, he'd appreciate a straightforward answer.
Regardless of his feelings about the matter, it was up to him now, and Ignis deserved the truth.
"Iggy… You got hurt. Really, really badly. Your eyes were… burnt, I think. The doctor used a lot of medical terms I didn't understand, but it's… bad. They don't think you'll get your eyesight back."
Again, Ignis hand came up to his face, slowly and carefully. This time, Prompto let him, closely watching his every move.
"I see," he said, tracing over his right eye and then, with the briefest moment of hesitation, moved along to the left one. He winced when he touched the wounds that had yet to heal, and his hand fell back onto the mattress. "So that was the price."
"The price?" Prompto asked, confused, but Ignis didn't elaborate.
"I would like to see Noct," he said instead, which was really not a surprise.
Oh, how Prompto hated to deny him this.
"Uh, maybe not right now? It's kind of the middle of the night, he's not awake anyway, and like, no offense, but you don't really look like you're up to walking right now. I'm not really strong enough to catch you if you like, pass out in the hallway, and I really, really don't want you to crack your head open?" he rambled, hoping sincerely Ignis wouldn't insist. Gladio would have his head if he let Ignis fall and give himself a concussion on top of everything else.
For a moment, it looked like Ignis was going to put up a fight, because he was Ignis and more stubborn than anyone else Prompto had ever met, but then, his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Alright. Tomorrow, then."
Quietly, Prompto released a breath. Tomorrow wasn't going to be much better, but at least he could get Gladio to help him haul Ignis over to Noct's room. "Of course. Tomorrow. Promise."
Ignis nodded. He was still propped up against the pillows but slowly slumping over; it was crystal clear just how badly hurt he was. He looked exhausted to his very bones, just the sight of his wounds made Prompto hurt all over in sympathy, and his right eye was starting to slip closed again. He wasn't going to be awake much longer, Prompto could tell that much.
"Hey," he said, very gently. "I think you should get some more rest. Let's get you lying down, yeah?"
When Ignis didn't protest, Prompto helped him lie back down. Then, he pulled the blanket back over him, turned the light off, and shuffled as close as he dared.
"Hey, can I… hold your hand?" he asked, very quietly, half hoping Ignis was still awake to have heard and half hoping he wasn't.
For a moment, no reply came and Prompto assumed Ignis had already fallen asleep, but then Ignis replied in an equally soft voice, "You don't have to do that."
"I know, I know, just," Prompto whispered, "Pretty sure it'd help me sleep."
He was sure Ignis didn't believe a single word he'd just said, but it wasn't entirely a lie. He did mainly want to avoid Ignis waking up before him and having nothing to orient himself by, but Prompto himself craved the reassurance of Ignis being there, being alive. There had been a point at which this was more than they'd dared to hope for.
His heart skipped a beat when he heard fabric rustling and Ignis' hand tentatively found his.
Wasting no time, Prompto grasped it firmly and pretended not to notice how weak Ignis' grip was.
"Sleep," he said. "I'm gonna be right here when you wake up, and tomorrow we'll go see Noct."
Ignis didn't answer, likely already asleep. Good. He needed all the rest he could get to heal.
Prompto closed his eyes and listened to Ignis breathing, but sleep wouldn't come to him. A word kept replaying in his head, and he couldn't make sense of it. The price, Ignis had said, but the price for what?
He had a feeling Ignis wasn't going to tell - and Prompto wasn't sure he even wanted to know.
I can't remember if I've said so before, but since this one was a sequel to one of the previous chapters it feels like a good opportunity: this fic can obviously be read as a series of oneshots (and I try to keep it as such, and if I directly connect chapters like this I'll say so (but then, I'm pretty sure even these two could be read separately)) but in my mind, they all take place in the same universe/timeline/whatever you wanna call it. It's not really important, but yeah, that's how I see this series ^^
I think the next one is going to be a bit longer, it's in the works right now and I'm so bad at estimating a final word count when I'm not done yet, but I've already exceeded the word count of this chapter so it IS going to be longer than this at least, lol.
As always, thank you so much for sticking with me (for two years, wow! I love you guys!) and I appreciate you all so much 3 hope you have a great day!
Also, reminder that I'm always happy to chat and you can get a hold of me via Twitter where I basically live ( butterfly_onice), Tumblr (thisfairytalegonebad) or Discord (thisfairytalegonebad#2939).
